Not only is the Grammys’ winner for record of the year a rap song — for just the second time ever — but it also happens to be one of the most brutal diss tracks of all time.
“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar took home the major award on Sunday, capping an unprecedented run for a one-off single that features lines like “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young” and calls one of the biggest artists of the 21st century a “pedophile,” among other things.
Lamar, who is scheduled to headline the Super Bowl halftime show next weekend, dedicated the win to his native Los Angeles, including fire-ravaged areas like the Palisades and Altadena. “We gonna dedicate this one to the city: Compton, Watts, Long Beach, Inglewood, Hollywood out to the valley,” Lamar said. “This is my neck of the woods that’s held me down since I was a young pup.”
“Not Like Us” was nominated five times in all, also winning for best rap performance, best rap song and best music video. It was also nominated for song of the year, which will be given later in the show. Previously, the only rap song to win for best record or best song was Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” in 2019.
“Not Like Us” beat out hits by Beyoncé (“Texas Hold ’Em”), Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone (“Fortnight”), Sabrina Carpenter (“Espresso”), Charli XCX (“360”), Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!”), Billie Eilish (“Birds of a Feather”) and the Beatles (“Now and Then,” billed as the group’s “last” song).
Lamar had lost both song and record of the year three times at previous Grammy ceremonies, in addition to four losses for album of the year. He had never before won in one of the biggest four categories, which also includes best new artist.
“Not Like Us” was widely received as the decisive final blow in a contentious, rapid-fire rap battle between Lamar and Drake, a onetime collaborator turned rival, last year. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart and is currently the subject of a lawsuit by Drake against Universal Music Group, the label behind both rappers, which he accused of defamation for its aggressive promotion of the song. Lamar is not named as a defendant in the suit.
The post Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Wins Record of the Year appeared first on New York Times.
